Combination garment spotting and pressing apparatus



J. E. STI-:HR 2,704,408

COMBINATION GARA/ENT sPoTTING AND PREssING APPARATUS March 22, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 29, 1953 IXVENTOR TTORNEY J. E. STEHR March22, 1955 COMBINATION GARMENT SPOTTING AND PRESSING APPARATUS Filed April29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ''eL 7 A ORNEY United States Patent-O CONIBINATION GARMENT SPO'I'I'ING AND PRESSING APPARATUS Joseph E.Stehr, Silverton, Ohio Application April 29, 1953, Serial No. 351,880

7 Claims. (Cl. 38-104) This invention relates to a novel apparatus ormachine for use either for removing spots from garments or for pressinggarments and wherein most of the apparatus is employed for eitheroperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having aunique means for receiving steam constituting a supporting part of theapparatus and additionally functioning as a separator for returning orcarrying ol condensation thereby eliminating need for a separateseparator to accomplish this result.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel control means forsupplying steam to either the steam pressing or steam spotting unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including aboard for use either as a steam pressing board or a steam spotting boardand which is so constructed that it will not be damaged by chemicalsused in removing spots from garments yet which may efficiently functionas a steam pressing board.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawings,illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan View, partly in section of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in sideelevation thereof, taken substantially along a piane as indicated by theline 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the pressing or spotting boardtaken substantially along a plane as indicated by lines 3 3 of Figures 1and 2, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5 5 of Figure l,and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly broken away, of theinner, open end of the sleeve-like ironing or pressing pad.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the combination steampressing and spotting apparatus in its entirety is designated generally8 and includes a tubular post or column 9 having a base plate 10 securedto the lower end thereof and a top plate 11 secured to the upper end ofsaid post. Said plates and 11 are disposed substantially parallel to oneanother and at right angles to the axis of the post 9 and provideclosures for sealing the ends of said post. The plate 10 is preferablysecured by suitable fastenings 12 to a horizontal supporting surfacesuch as a floor 13. At least one brace 14 may be provided having one endsecured to the base plate 10 and its opposite end secured to the post 9for bracing said post relatively to the base plate.

One end of an elongated pressing board 15, which may be formed of anysuitable material, is disposed on the top plate 11 and secured theretoby fastenings 16. The top surface of the board 15 is covered by a sheetof an acid resisting material 17 such as formica. A metal beading strip13 which is preferably chrome plated extends around the edge of theboard 15 and is secured thereto by fastenings 19. The beading strip 18has an inturned upper flange portion 20 which overlies the marginal edgeof the sheet 17 for retaining it on the upper surface of the board 15. Awall member 21 is secured 2,704,408 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 fl P ICC

around the inner end of the board 15 which is supported on and securedto the top plate 11 by certain of the fastenxngs 19 and extends upwardlytherefrom to provide a retaining wall for articles used in spotting andpressing such as bottles of chemicals, not shown. A socket member 22 issecured to and rises from the inner end portion of the board 15 which incombination with the retaining wall 21 forms a tray 23. A supporting rod24 is seated 1n and extends upwardly from the socket 22 and has anupwardly opening hook 25 at its upper end adapted to provide a supportfor a exible conduit of a steam iron or steam spotting gun.

The hollow post or column 9 is provided near its upper end with a steaminlet conduit 26 which discharges into the steam chamber 27 formed bysaid post and which leads from a suitable source of steam supply, notshown. A return conduit 28 for condensation communicates with and leadsfrom the chamber 27 near the lower end of the post 9. The post 9 isprovided with an internally threaded outlet 29 for the steam chamber 27,located adjacent the upper end of said post and which extendstherefromin a direction toward the end of the board 15 which is locatedremote to the post 9, and to which is connected the inlet fitting 30 ofa conventional normally closed shutoff valve 31 having a downwardlyextending exposed valve stern 32 which is displaceable upwardly to openthe valve 31. A hanger bracket 33 is secured to and depends from aportion of the housing of the valve 31 to provide a support for a lever34 which is pivotally connected to the bracket 33 by a pivot pin 35. Aninner end 36 of the lever 34 engages under the lower end of the valvestem 32 so that when the outer end 37 of the lever is swung downwardlythe stern 32 will be displaced upwardly for opening the valve 31.

A three way valve 38 of a conventional type is connected to the outiet39 of the valve 31 and is provided with two outlet bosses 40 and 41. Asteam iron conduit 42 is connected to the boss 40 and a steam gunconduit 43 is connected to the boss 41. Said conduits, only portions ofwhich are shown, may be flexible or may include fiexible sections. Avalve stem 44 of the valve 38 has an operating handle 45 connected toone exposed end thereof and which may be swung in one direction toposition the outlet nipple 4i) and conduit 42 in communication with theoutlet 39 of the shutoff valve 31 or which may be moved to anotherposition to close the nipple 40 and to open the nipple 41 so that theconduit 43 will be in communication with said valve outlet 39, forsupplying steam under pressure to either of said conduits 42 or 43 whenthe valve 31 is open.

The base plate 10 extends a substantial distance from the post 9 towardthe end of the board 15 which is located remote to said post and saidend is provided with a bearing member 46 which is fixed to its upperside and extends longitudinally thereof. One end of a shaft 47 isjournalled in the bearing 46 and said shaft extends from said end of thebase 10 and has its opposite end journalled in a bearing 48 which issecured to the floor 13. A foot pedal or treadle 49 has one edge thereofsecured to the shaft 47 between the bearings 46 and 48. The pedal 49 isinclined upwardly from the edge thereof which is secured to the shaft 47and has an extension 50 projecting from the inner end of its upper freeedge toward the post 9 to which is secured one end of a flexible membersuch as a chain 51. The opposite end of the chain 51 is secured to thelever end 37 so that when the pedal 49 is swung downwardly by a footpressure applied thereto the lever 34 will be rocked on its pivot 35 toelevate its inner end 36 for displacing the valve stem 32 upwardly toopen the valve 31. The pressure on the valve stem 32 urging itdownwardly and outwardly will normally maintain the parts in theirposition of Figure 2 with the pedal 49 in an inclined elevated position.

The board 15 is tapered from the inner end thereof forming a part of thetray 23 to its outer end, which s located remote to the post 9, and asleeve-like pad 52 fits detacha'oly over said outer end of the board 15and has an enlarged open end 53 which terminates adjacent the tray V23.The pad 52 may be formed of any suitable fabric and is provided withseveral upper plies S4, located above the top surface of the board asdefined by the sheet 17, which forms the pad portion thereof. Thesleeve-like pad 52 is sized to snugly iit the outer end and intermediateportion of the board 15 and is applied thereto when the board is usedfor pressing or ironing. When thus employed, the handle 45 is moved to aposition to place the steam iron conduit 42 in communication with theinlet of the valve 38 and the outlet 39 of the valve 31. The operatorstanding in a position to the right of the apparat-us 8, as illustratedin Figure 5, by exerting a pressure with the foot on the pedal 49 canopen the valve 31 so that steam under pressure will be supplied throughthe conduit 42 to a steam iron, not shown, of conventional construction,being used for ironing or steam pressing a garment, not shown, which isdisposed on the upper surface of the pad 52. Thus, the supply of steamin the amount desired will always be available to the user by simplyapplying foot pressure to the pedal 49. When the apparatus 8 is utilizedfor steam spotting the pad 52 is removed from the board 15 and thematerial to be cleaned or spotted is placed on the sheet of material 17.Chemicals used in spotting and other tems required for spotting orpressing are maintained readily available in the tray 23. The valvehandle 45 is swung to a position to place the steam spotting gun conduit43 in communication with the valve outlet 39 so that by pressingdownwardly on the foot pedal 49 steam under pressure will be suppliedthrough the conduit 43 to a conventional steam gun, not shown, foraccomplishing the spotting operation. The material 17 will preventdamage to the board 15 by the chemicals utilized in accomplishing thespotting operation.

Any condensation which occurs in the steam chamber 27 will be carriedolf by the return conduit 28 back to the source of steam supply orelsewhere as desired, thus eliminating the need of a separate steamseparator.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A steam pressing and spotting apparatus of the character describedcomprising a base plate adapted to be secured to a horizontal supportingsurface, a hollow post xed to and rising from said base plate, a topplate supported on the upper end of said post, said plates closing theends of said post, an elongated pressing and spotting board having oneend disposed on and secured to said top plate and supported thereby, thehollow interior of said post defining a steam chamber, a steam supplyconduit discharging into said steam chamber adjacent the upper end ofthe post, a normally closed quick opening valve connected to the postand communicating with the steam chamber near the upper end thereof, asecond valve connected to the outlet of said normally closed valve, saidsecond valve having two outlets, a steam iron conduit connected to oneof said outlets, a steam spotting gun conduit connected to the otheroutlet, a manually operated element forming a part of said second valveand movable for positioning either of said conduits in communicationwith said normally closed valve, and means for opening said normallyclosed valve for supplying steam under pressure to either of theconduits leading from said second valve, said means being supported bythe housing of said normally closed valve.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, and a condensation return conduitcommunicating with said steam chamber and leading from the post near thelower end thereof.

3. An apparatus as in claim l, said means for opening the normallyclosed valve including a hanger bracket connected to the housing of saidnormally closed valve and depending therefrom, a lever pivotallysupported on the hanger bracket at a point spaced from the ends of thelever, a valve stem extending from said normally closed valve andengaging one end of said lever, a foot pedal pivotally connected to saidbase, and means connecting the foot pedal to the other end of said leverfor rocking the lever to displace the valve stem inwardly for openingsaid normally closed valve by a downward displacement of the foot pedal.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, a sheet of acid resisting materialcovering the upper surface of said board, and a sleevelike paddetachably disposed around the intermediate portion of said board and anend thereof disposed remote from said top plate and including aplurality of plies disposed above said board.

5. An apparatus as in claim l, a wall secured around the end portion ofsaid board which is disposed on and secured to the top plate, said wallextending upwardly from the board and combining with said end portion toform a tray having an open inner end.

6. A steam pressing and spotting apparatus including an elongatedpressing and spotting board, an elongated upright hollow post, platessecured to the ends of said post and forming closures for sealing saidends, one of said plates being adapted to rest on and be secured to ahorizontal supporting surface, an end of said board being disposed onand secured to the other plate, the hollow interior of said post forminga steam chamber, a steam supply conduit discharging into said steamchamber adjacent the upper end of said post, a valve having two outlets,a steam iron conduit connected to one of said outlets, a steam spottinggun conduit connected to the other valve outlet, a normally closed quickopening valve supported by the post and communicating with said steamchamber, said quick opening valve having an outlet connected to theinlet of the rst mentioned valve said rst mentioned valve having amanual control member for connecting either of said conduits to saidquick opening normally closed valve, and a foot pedal operated means foropening said normally closed valve for supplying steam under pressure toeither of said conduits connected to the first mentioned valve, saidfoot pedal operated means being disposed beneath and operativelyconnected to the normally closed valve.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6, and a condensation return conduitcommunicating with said steam chamber and leading from the post adjacentthe lower end thereof.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,444,728 Castoe July 6, 1948 2,516,219 Kisling July 25, 1950

